Women Heroes of World War I: 16 Remarkable Resisters, Soldiers, Spies, and Medics

Review

WOMEN HEROES OF WORLD WAR I, part of Chicago Review Press’s Women in Action series, focuses on the women who served their countries in various capacities during The Great War but are generally not included in the history books. Author Kathryn J. Atwood tells the stories using engaging narrative and dialogue, and utilizes quotes from historical documents and personal diaries. She has done a great job of providing enough information to satisfy a history buff while writing in a style that will satisfy anyone who likes to read a good story.

The book is divided into four sections: Resisters and Spies; Medical Personnel; Soldiers; and Journalists. Each section begins with historical background information and includes the stories of the women who served in those ways.

"[Author Kathryn J. Atwood] has done a great job of providing enough information to satisfy a history buff while writing in a style that will satisfy anyone who likes to read a good story."

All together, WOMEN HEROES OF WORLD WAR I features stories about 16 amazing women, and readers will learn about a 17-year-old Frenchwoman, Emilienne Moreau, who served as a guide for the Allies and used her home as a first-aid post. They’ll also learn about Maria Bochkareva, a Russian peasant who became a soldier and started the Women’s Battalion of Death, a unit of all-female soldiers; Madeleine Zabriskie Doty, an American journalist who reported on the war from Germany; and Edith Clavell, a British nurse who served in Belgium where she aided wounded soldiers from both sides of the conflict.

Each story ends with a “Learn More” section that shares books and websites where readers can find more information about these women. Most of the stories also include sidebars with additional related material. The author has also included a Glossary, Notes, a Bibliography and an Index.